Bärbel Bas knows only too well what educational advancement means. The President of the Bundestag completed it herself. Many young people from non-academic families are still unable to do this today.
The complaints about a lack of educational justice in Germany are old – but still relevant, as studies show. Children’s educational opportunities are still largely determined by their social background. The topic is a major concern for Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD).
Question: Madam President of the Bundestag, if you are looking for an example of educational advancement, you could easily choose you.
Answer: Yes, you can.
Question: Father, bus driver, grew up with five siblings, graduated from secondary school, then studied, eventually became a member of parliament and is now even President of the Bundestag. Are such educational careers still possible today?
Answer: It’s still possible, but such careers are still random. You need a lot of luck and someone who recognizes the talent and opens up educational opportunities. You have to accept that and go down this path. So: Educational careers are still possible, but for certain people it is still difficult to advance. And the effects of the corona pandemic are not making the situation any easier.
Question: And the reality is different.
Answer: Statistics and studies prove it: young people are more likely to study if they come from academic households. Our promise that workers’ children can go to university is a reality. Also thanks to funding opportunities such as Bafög etc. Nevertheless, it is more difficult for children from families with low incomes. Role models for educational advancement are often missing. That was the case with me too. I didn’t know anyone in my area who studied. That’s why I decided to do an apprenticeship after school.
Question: The analysis also includes the fact that every year 45,000 to 50,000 young people leave school without a qualification.
Answer. This is really a poor testimony for our educational system. And why don’t you have a degree? Sometimes it’s up to the person themselves. But much more often it’s because the young person doesn’t get the support they need during their school career, such as tutoring. And then breaks off.
Question: We are currently discussing basic child security. Do we also need basic educational security?
Answer: I don’t want to create a new word now. I think we need better cooperation at all levels and institutions. Thanks to federalism, we have three actors in the field of education: The federal government, which can initiate many programs. Secondly, the federal states, because they are primarily responsible for education policy. And finally the municipalities, which have to ensure that the school buildings are equipped, for example. The federal states are responsible for ensuring that there are enough teaching staff. According to the ideas of the federal states, the federal government can give money, but not really have a say. I am firmly convinced that we need an overall effort on all three levels so that education can progress more fairly and more successfully.
Question: You have proposed a federal, state and local commission for this purpose. How was the response?
Answer: I think the countries were a bit worried that I would call for a new federalism commission, which I don’t do. I advocate networking more closely and working more closely together. I got positive reactions to this approach.
Question: And will it come to that?
Answer: The national action plan “New Opportunities for Children in Germany” just passed by the cabinet is, for example, a framework in which municipalities, states and the federal government could actually come together better. The 350 measures collected there are initially on paper. In order to implement the plan over the next few years, this closer cooperation between the federal, state and local governments is needed.
Question: Much is a question of money. Last year, a 100 billion special fund for the Bundeswehr was set up fairly quickly. Do we also need a special fund for education?
Answer: In the end it has to be more money, yes. But we also have fundamental structural problems that cannot be solved with money alone.
Question: The situation in Germany does not look equally critical everywhere. Should all countries still get more funding?
Answer: More money is basically good. What is crucial, however, is that the available money is used more efficiently. In particular, we need better human and financial support for hotspot areas. The education map clearly shows where the problems are particularly pronounced. We have to pay more attention to these regions, and we should use more resources and personnel in a very targeted manner.
Question: It’s not just about academics. Many companies complain that they no longer have any offspring. Do you have an explanation for this?
Answer: Vocational training in the dual system has an inferior image today. Unfortunately, many young people therefore believe that they absolutely have to study. However, if you take a closer look at the content of the training, it becomes clear that training and studying should be treated equally. Many medium-sized companies are looking for successors. You have no one to take over the company. With a good education you can run a company.
During my visits to lower secondary schools, I notice again and again that the pupils feel like they are “the rest of the school”. They think: We don’t have a chance anyway, we’ve already lost, we’ve fallen by the wayside. If young people are already going to school with such feelings, the number of dropouts should not come as a surprise. We need a change of image here too.
Question: There is also a shortage of skilled workers in the staff room. Why is it becoming increasingly difficult to find teachers?
Answer: I think it’s almost like in the care sector: if there are not enough staff, the pressure on the individual specialist grows too much and people leave. In addition, there is often a difficult educational and social environment, children with many problems, difficulties in the families. We have many vacancies in my hometown of Duisburg. Because: Who goes to hotspot districts voluntarily?
Question: What can you do about it?
Answer: The remuneration system is of course a way to make a job more attractive. This is not so easy for civil servants, but there are practicable solutions in other professions. For example, if you work at a school in a disadvantaged area, you could earn more with allowances. But above all, we shouldn’t always dump everything on the teachers. We have to relieve them of non-specialist tasks and open the schools to employees from other disciplines, such as social work or the technical area.
Question: Do you have an example for this?
Answer: Let’s take the digitization of schools: the teachers have to somehow get their way into the technology so that everything works for the lesson. Even if there is also a shortage of skilled workers here, why don’t we try to get IT experts into schools? Then the teachers could focus on what and how the children should learn. I am convinced that we must rethink school from the inside.
About the person: Bärbel Bas was born in 1968 in Walsum, which is now part of Duisburg. She first learned the profession of office assistant, later completed a degree in human resources management and economics and took over the personnel service department of a health insurance company. In 1988 she joined the SPD. She has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009. From 2013 to 2019 she was parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, then deputy parliamentary group leader. In October 2021 she was elected President of the Bundestag.